Vehicle spring



July 21, 11925;. 154.65%

R. E. HUTT VEHICLE SPRING Filed Aug. 2'7- 192% Patentt-zclv .lniy 21, 1925;

it. s 1-J TES I 1,546,584 Parent orrics.

saunas r, Herr, or wrnmmeromnnnawm.

vnmcnn srnme.

n ueatmmec'au m 27, 1924. Serial m). 734,452.

of the invention being shown. herein as applied to multiple leaf springs of the typeused for supporting the bodies of automo b-iles andether vehicles, 'andi for smanyl other purposes. It will be evident, hoW-' ever, that the principles of the invention are not limited to the embodiment shown nor to the use ofmultiple leaves.

One of the objects of the inventioniis to provide a spring of lightweight for the duty performed, thus lessening the'amount of metal required for construction and presenting particular. advantages in the case of automobiles in efiiecting a reduction of the unsprung weight.

A furthemobject is to provide a spring of maximum durability with the portions ent from the following specification, W cm taken with thereof properly designed for their 'duties. Still further objects of the invention and the principles of construction will be ap arthe accompanying drawiw, in which? Fig. 1 is a view in. perspective of a multiple leaf spring constitutin' one embodiment of the invention, one en of the spring being broken away to better show the construction;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical cross section, taken on line 2-201? Fig, l; i a Fig. 3 is aview in. vertical cross section,

taken on line 53-42 of Fig. 1 and showing a" moiified cdnstruct-ion of the end of a leaf;

Fig.4 is aview in pe tive, showin a modified form of the an of a main lea Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, a multiple leaf spring is show as built up of a main leaf 11, and auxifi ary. leaves 12, each successively shorter, as is the usual practice in vehicle springs of this type, It is 'well known that when a multiple leaf spring is bent, the

metal at one face of the spring, is placed winder compression, while that at the oppothe spring is subjected to ten-= site face '0 limit of sion. It is also well known. that the elastic limit'of metals under compression is con siderably higher than that of the elastic the same metal under tension.

In order to provide a spring of minimum weight for maximum service and durability,

it is therefore proposed to so construct the spring that the total area of metal under compression will bear to the total area of 1 metal under tension substantially the same ratio as thelelastic limit under tension bears to the elastic limit under compression, the portions of the spring'being thusdesigned for the stresses imposed npon'them.

In the structure shown, each of the leaves is longitudinallygrooved, as best shown in Fig. 2, to form compression portions 13' at one side of the leafand tension portions 14 at the opposite face, the compression porthus being joined to the tension portions by web portions 15. The compression portions, are substantially equal in width, to the tension portions and are somewhat thinner, the web portions 15 being preferably no greater in thickness than that of the compression portions. It will be understoodv that the web portions 15, while a partof-the leaf and necessary to rigidly connect thecompression and-tension portions, are relative y. unimportant so far as taking the compressionand tension strain, so that their thiclmess is comparatively immaterial so long as they impose upon the compres+ sion and tension portions the duties which they are to perform. If the metal-used has members 14 should be twice that of the area of the two compression members 13, so that if the compression and tension members are of the same width as shown, the

should be three-fourths that of the tension members.

ran elastic limit under compressiori' which is twice that of the metal under tension, the cross sectional, area of the three tension thickness ofthe compression members i n will be understood that the same result could be accomplished in. a similar construction by making the width of the compression members three-fourths of that of the tension members and making them equal in thickness, and that if a greater or less; number of grooves are formed, the relative width and thickness of the com-.

'ression and tension portions would have to he altered. I

From the standpoint of economical menuas, for instance, by thickening the ends'of pression an in the other. \Vith this construction'stock. can be rolled to such cross section, cut into len hs and cambere'd. However, if it is desired to form the endsof the main leaf as shown in Fig. 4, such'leaf' may be sepa rately formed or a length of grooved stock may be shapedl'at its ends to form a flat portion 16, into which .the grooves disa pear and which; is curled over to form'tl e If, as shown in Fig. 2, the compression portions are relativelythinner than the tension portions, us1paces118 will be formed in the assembled in tiple leaf spring in which lubricant may be retained and any suitable system'of supplying lubricant to said openings maybe employed. The ends of the openings 18 may be closed in any suitablemanner,

the compression members 13, as shown at 13 in Fig. 3. 1

A '3 ring, whether single or multiple leaf, built in accordance with the invention described will have a maximum durability for 'its wei ht so that considerable metal can be saved inconstruction of the spring and a considerable savin in weight of the spring effected. This is o particular importance inthe construction, of automobiles in which it .is desirable to reduce the unsprung weight to a minimum. Theadvantages t us gained inefficiency, lightness, saving of metal and, if desired, providing for lubrication, more than off-set an increased cost in shaping the leaves.

It will be'obviousthat many changes may be made in the designand construction of the arts without departing from the spirit of t 'e invention which is defined in the fola tions.

. lowing claims.-

wha I claim isi 1. A spring 3 comprising a compression member and a tension member, the crosssectional areas of said members being diii'e'rj ent and so proportioned that the elastic limit under compression of said compression memher will substantially equalthe elastic limit under tension of said tension member, 2. A spring comprising a leaf having integral compression and tension members, the

cross-sectional areas of said members being substantially in inverse proportion "to the elastic limit'characteristics, under compression .and tension,frespectively, of the metal of which they/are formed.

3. A spring comprlslng a leaf having compression members, and tension members offof said compression members to substantially compensate for the ratio of the elastic limits, under compression and tension, respectively, of the material of which the leaf is formed."

4. A sprin comprising a leaf having comtension portions at opposite faces, said portions being; alternately arranged and integrally connected by web portions,fthe cross-sectional areas of said portime being different and so proportioned that the elastic limit under compression of said compression equal the elastic hmit under tension of said tension portions. I

5. A s ring comprising a plurality of leaves, ea'c leaf being longitudinally grooved to form a flat com ression portion at one.

set from said compression membersin the direction of bending and having a crosssectional area sufiieiently greater than that rtions'will substantially In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my 

